Improvement in folding chairs



c. ILUATMMN.

, A Folding-Chairs. V AN0,l56,8\2, Patented Nov. 10,1874.

UNITED STATES CHARLES D. oATMAN,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,812, dated November 10, 1874; applicatan filed l March 13, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHAELEs D. OATMAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedl a new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs, and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear and exact description of the nature thereof, sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to fully understand. make, and use the same, reference being' had to the accompanying' drawing making part of this specifi cation, in which- Figure'l is a side view of the device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear View thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view thereof in a folded state. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detached portion. Fig. 5 is aside view, and Fig. 6 is a rear View, both of detached parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to folding chairs; and consists in swinging or vibrating sleeves applied thereto, whereby the arm-rests will be strong and durable, the wood-work heilig left solid, there being no cutting or slotting thereof. The back of thel chair, when opened, will be firmly held, and the arm-rests move through the sleeves during the operation of folding, so that said operation is readily performed.

Refering to the drawings, A represents a folding chair, consisting of the seat B, cross'- legs C, back D, and armrests G, which, in general features, may be of well-known form and construction. H represents sleeves, which are connected to the sides ofthe back D or to the sides of the front cross-piece of the legs U by means of screws or pins, on which they are loosely mounted, so that swinging or oscil-` lating motions may be imparted to said sleeves.

Screws, pins, or stops J are secured' to the ends ofthe armrests in such a manner as to abut against the sleeves.

The operation is as follows: When the chair is opened the parts are in position, as shown in Figs. l and 2. It will be seen that the back will be firmly held. The arm-rests connect the back of the chair with the front thereof, and disconnection ofthe parts is prevented by means of the stops J and sleeves H. When it is required to fold the chair the legs are brought together, thus permitting the back to swing downward to the rear. The free ends of the armrests slide through the sleeves, which vibrate or swing on their connecting pins. or screws, and conform to the vshape of and motions described by the armrests, so that the latter cannot bind or catch at any point, and thus the operation of fold` ing is readily accomplished. lhe parts now assume a compact form, as exhibited in Fig. 3, and the dotted lines, Fig. l.

It will also be seen that the chair is firm and durable, and its strength is in nowise impaired, inasmuch as lengthened slots in the arm-rests and backs of chairs in common use are entirely dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with the back of a folding chair, adapted to be folded backward upon the legs, of arm-rests G G and vibrating sleeves H H, as and for the purpose specified.

CHARLES D. OATMAN. Witnesses:

JOHN A. VITIEDERSHEIM, G. S. HETHERINGTON. 

